Typewriter attachment



March 29, 1938. a. A. SCHROEDER TYPEWRITER ATTACHMENT- Filed Jan. 15, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l March 29, 1938. B. A. SCHROEDER 2,112,681

TYPEWRITER ATTACHMENT I Filed Jan. 13, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 29, 1938. B. A. SCHROEDER TYPEWRITER ATTACHMENT FiledJan. 15, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented 29 1938 PATENT OFFICE mnwmraa momm -r rnard A. Schroeder, Evanston, Ill, minor to United Autographic Register 00., C!!! a corporation of Illinois cago, 111.,

Application January 13, 1988, semi No. 58,930

24' Claims. (Cl. 187-126) This invention relates particularly to typewriters adapted to fill in forms on continuous-form stationery interleaved with carbon slips, and more particularly to a typewriter attachment for slipping the carbon slips from an advanced to a succeeding set of forms.

.The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved method and means for shifting carbon or transfer sheets from an advanced to a succeeding set of forms without the operator touching the carbon.

A further objectof the invention is to provide improved means for automatically alining and advancing the stationery and alining and retracting the carbon slips.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tear-oil! bar for facilitating the severance of the advanced and completed set of forms.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for handling continuous-form stationery whereby it is unnecessary for the operator to reach more than one form length above the platen of the machine.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a device embodying the invention mounted on a typewriter which is shown brokenly; Fig. 2, a side elevational view, partly in section, of the same; Fig. 3, a broken side elevational view showing the operation of the mechanism for throwing the com-- pleted sets of forms forwardly over the tear-off bar; Fig. 4, a plan sectional view taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. 1; and Figs. 5, 6, and '1 are somewhat diagrammatic views showing how the device is operated.

In the embodiment illustrated, A designates a main frame adapted to be mounted on the shiftable platen carriage of a typewriter and equipped with a cross-bar A; B, a lazy-tong mechanism; and C, mechanism for throwing the completed set of forms forwardly over the tear-off bar.

The device may be used on any standard typewriter such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, equipped with a shiftable platen carriage 8 anda platen roll 9. The machine is equipped with the usual presser means operated by a hand lever l0 whereby the stationery may be released or engaged for feeding by means of the platen roll.

The frame A comprises a pair of standards ll equipped with base portions l2 which may be detachably secured to the platen carriage by means ofscrews l3. The standards H support the crossbar A about one form length above the platen carriage and to the central portion of the crossbar A is fixedly secured an upwardly and downwardly extending channel member l4 provided with guide slots IS. The frame is further provided with a tear-oil bar I 6 whose lower end is flared outwardly, as indicated at IT, to form a guide for the advancing ends of the stationery. The frame is further provided with a pair of fixed upwardly extending guide members l3 provided with slots I! which terminate at a humped portion 20, the purpose of which will be described below. The lower ends of the guide members i3 and the channel member. l4 are connected to a cross-member 2| which is secured to the base l2 by means of brackets 22 and screws 23, providing a very rigid construction.

The lazy-tong mechanism B is supported on the cross-bar A by means of a pivot 24 whose axis is in the same plane with the top of the tearofl bar It. The mechanism comprises a plurality of cross-links 25 which are pivotally connected at their end-portions, as indicated at 26, and are pivotally connected at their central portions by means of guide pivots 21 which are slidably mounted in the guide-slots IS. The upper end of the lazy-tong mechanism is provided with a cross-bar 23 equipped with upwardly extending register pins 29 and having transverse slots 30 whereby the bar is supported on pivots 3| of the lazy-tong device. The bar is further provided with a central guide member 32 which is slidably mounted in the upper slot ii.

In somewhat the same manner, the lower portion of the lazy-tong mechanism is provided with a cross-bar 33 equipped at its end-portions with downwardly extending register pins 34 adapted to operate in the slots IS. The bar is provided with slots 35 to receive the supporting pivots 36 of the lazy-tong links and also has a central guide pivot 31 adapted to operate in the lower guide slot l5. One of the central links of the lazy-tong mechanism is provided with a lateral extension 38 provided with a knob 39 which serves as an operating lever for the mechanism. Thus it will be understood that when the lever 38 is moved downwardly, the lazy-tong will provide positive parallel movement for the bars 28 and 33 and will move the pairs of register pins 29 and 34 simultaneously in opposite directions. The upward and downward movement of the mechanism may be limited by the length of the slots l5 and, if desired, spring means (not shown) may be provided for normally retracting the mechanism to the position shown in Fig. 1.

The mechanism C is provided to automatically throw the completed set of forms forwardly so .that they will be draped over the tear-off bar I. and will be readily accessible for severance immediately after the lazy-tong mechanism is started to move. from extended to retracted position. This device comprises a wire-like arm 40 having its lower end-portions extending laterally through the side walls of the channel member l4 and turned upwardly, as indicated at 4|. A pair of springs 42 urge the arm to seat against the web of the member l4. As best shown in Figs. 2, 3. and 4, the arm pivotally supports a U-shaped trigger member 43 which is provided with laterally extending integrally formed fingers 44 adapted to engage the ends 4i of the arm and tip the same forwardly when the trigger member 43 is swung upwardly. A small spring 45 is provided to normally hold the member in the position shown in Fig. 2. The member 43 is actuated by a push rod 46 carried by the lower cross-bar 33 and is provided with a detent 41 which engages the web of the member 43 and tips it upwardly on the upstroke, as indicated in Fig. 3. As will be readily understood, on the downstroke, the detent merely flips the member 43 downwardly against the tension of the spring 45. A fixed guide member 4. is provided on the channel member l4 to direct the movement of the push rod 48.

In operation, stationery strips 49 which may or may not be provided between sets of forms with a line of weakening ill, are interleaved or loaded with transfer or carbon slips 5|. Each set of forms is provided with a pair of register perforations 52 and the laterally extending marginal portions of the transfer material are provided at their lower comer-portions with perforations '8. After a set of forms has been filled in, the stationery is fed upwardly by means of the platen feed means, about a form and a half length to the position illustrated in Fig. 5. As will be understood from reference to Fig. l, the advance set of perforations 52 will be guided into engagement with register pins 29 and pressed thereover by means of pivotally connected guide members I4 carried by the cross-bar 28. At the same time, the laterally extending marginal portions of the transfer slips 5| will be guided upwardly over the pins 34 due to the hump 20. Fixed downwardly extending guide members 55 hold the transfer material close to the guide I8 and preferably the hump is so positioned that the perforated corner portions of the transfer slips will be turned forwardly so as to be readily engaged by the pins 34.

After the loaded stationery reaches the position indicated in Fig. 5, the operator releases the platen feed means by moving the lever l0 and grasps and draws downwardly the lever 38. This movement will cause the register pins 29 to engage the advance set of perforations I2 and aline and advance the stationery strips exactly one form length above the top edge of the tear-oil bar I. Simultaneously, the pins 34 will move downwardly out of the hump 20, engage the perforations 53 in the transfer material and retract the transfer slips about one-half a form length into the next succeeding set of forms. The platen feed means is then reengaged by movement of the lever l0 and the lazy-tong mechanism is retracted by raising the lever 38 to the normal position illustrated in Fig. 1. At the start of this movement, the push rod 46 will move upwardly and engage the member 43 and cause the arm 40 to swing forwardly and sweep the completed set of forms forwardly and downwardly and cause them to drape over the tear-off edge which is 'spect to each other and with respect to the mechexactly alined with the lines of weakening ll. The operator may then grasp the completed set of forms and sever them on the tear-oi! edge by drawing them forwardly. By backing up the platen roll 0, the freshly loaded set offorms may 5 then be turned into writing position.

Thus it will be understood that in each opera tion of the lazy-tong mechanism, the stationery strips and transfer material are alined with 1e- 10 anism. It is unnecessary for the operator to soil his or her fingers by'handling the carbon slips at any time during their life. Also, it is not necessary for the operator at any time to reach higher than is necessary to grasp the knob II. In the embodiment illustrated, the lazy-tong is designed so that the cross-bar 28 and cross-bar 33 move uniformly in opposite directions. However, if desired, by inserting more links on one side of the pivot 24 or by lengthening certain of the pivots 2|, the movement of the bars may be changed. The hump 20 while serving to prevent the upper end-portions of the carbons from catching under the pins and facilitating engagement of the perforations by the pins also serves to some extent to loosen the adhesions between the transfer material and the forms after the writing operation.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims which be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a duplicating method involving the use of continuous-form stationery, the steps which comprise: employing a duplicating'slip in a loaded set of forms; advancing the stationery until a succeeding set of forms is partially beyond writing position; retracting the duplicating slip and simultaneously alining and advancing said succeeding set of forms to clear said writing position; and returning the freshly loaded set of forms to writing position.

2. In a duplicating method involving the use of continuous strips of record material divisible along transverse lines of weakening dividing the strip into form lengths, the steps which comprise: loading duplicating slips between the sheets of an advance set of forms; advancing the strips of record material and interleaved duplicating slips about one and one-half form lengths from writing position; simultaneously advancing the stationery about one-half a form length and retracting the duplicating slips about one-half a form length; detaching the advance set of forms along the line of weakening: and retracting the freshly loaded set of forms into writing position.

3. A duplicating method, for use in a typewriter having a feed-mechanism for advancing continuous form stationery interleaved with transfer slips, which comprises the following steps: filling in a set of forms and advancing the stationery with. the feed-mechanism about one and onehalf form lengths beyond writing position: releasing the feed-mechanism; advancing and alining the stationery about one-half a form length and simultaneously retracting the transfer slips about one-half a form length; reengaging the feed-mechanism; detaching the completed set of forms; and feeding the succeeding set-of forms back into writing position.

4. In a duplicating machine adapted to fill in 75 forms on continuous-form stationery interleaved with transfer slips, mechanism for stripping said transfer slips from an advanced to a succeeding set of forms comprising: stationery-means for engaging the advance end-portion of the stationery, transfer-means for engaging the rear corner-portion of the transfer slips, and means for simultaneously moving the stationery-means forwardly and the transfer-means rearwardly.

5. A device as specified-in claim 4, in which the last-mentioned means comprises a lazy-tong mechanism supporting the stationery-means at one end and the transfer-means at the opposite end.

6. In a typewriting machine having a platen and adapted to fill in forms on continuous-form stationery strips provided with register perforations and interleaved with transfer material, mechanism comprising: a tear-off bar mounted on said typewriter about one form-length beyond I said .platen, under which the advanced set of forms may be fed; and register-means for engaging said set of forms at the perforations and alining and advancing the stationery one form length beyond said tear-off bar.

7. A device as specified in claim 6, including automatic means for throwing the advanced set of forms forwardly over the tear-off bar during the return stroke of the register-means.

8. In a typewriting machine having a platen and adapted to fill in forms on continuous-form stationery provided with register perforations and interleaved with transfer slips, mechanism for stripping said slips from an advanced to a succeeding set of forms comprising: a cross-bar movably mounted on a lazy-tong mechanism on said typewriter about a form length beyond said platen; a pair of register pins supported by said cross-bar so as to be movable to and from said platen, said pins being adapted to engage perforations in said stationery; and manually operable means for moving said pins uniformly.

9. In a typewriting machine having a platen and adapted to fill in forms on continuous-form stationery provided with register perforations and interleaved with transfer slips, mechanism for stripping said slips from an advanced to a succeeding set of forms comprising: a cross-bar mounted on said typewriter about a form length beyond said platen; a pair of register pins supported by said cross-bar so as to be movable to and from said platen, said pins being adapted to engage perforations in said stationery; a second pair of pins beneath said cross-bar and supported thereby so as to be movable to and from said platen, said second pair of pins being adapted to engage perforations provided in the lower corner-portions of said transfer slips which project laterally beyond the stationery; and manually operable means for keeping both pairs of pins in parallel relation and moving them simultaneously in opposite directions from said crossbar.

10. A device as specified in claim 9, in which guide means are provided for normally directing the transfer .slips out of engagement with the second pair of pins until said pins are moved with respect to said guide means.

11. A device as'speciiied in claim 9, in which the cross-bar is provided with a fixed, centrally disposed, upwardly extending standard, and the manually operable means comprises a lazy-tong mechanism pivotally mounted on said cross-bar and having central pivots slidably mounted on said standard.

12. In a typewriting machine having a platen and adapted to fill in forms on continuous-form stationery provided with register perforations and interleaved with transfer'slips, mechanism for stripping said slips from an advanced to a succeeding set of forms comprising: a cross-bar mounted on said typewriter about a form length beyond said platen; a pair of register pins supported by said cross-bar so as to be movable to and from said platen, said pins being adapted to engage perforations in said stationery; a second pair of pins beneath said cross-bar and supported thereby so as to be movable to and from said platen, said secondpair of pins being adapted to engage perforations provided in the lower comerportions of said transfer slips which project laterally beyond the stationery; a lazy-tong mechanism pivotally mounted on said cross-bar and connected to both pairs of pins so as to hold them in parallel relation and move them simultaneously in opposite directions; and manually operable actuating means comprising a lever below and projecting laterally beyond said cross-bar and connected to said lazy-tong mechanism.

13. A device as specified in claim 12, in which means is provided for holding the second pair of pins out of engagement with the transfer slips until the lazy-tong mechanism is actuated to strip the slips to the succeeding set of forms.

14. A device as specified in claim 12, including a tear-off bar mounted so as to extend across the front of stationery fed up to register pins, and having its top edge in the plane of the central pivot of the lazy-tong mechanism. I p

15. In a typewriting machine having a platen adapted to fill in forms on continuous-form staset of forms comprising: a cross-bar mounted on said typewriter about a form length above said platen; a lazy-tong mechanism pivotally mounted on said cross-bar and provided at its upper end with register pins adapted to aline and advance the stationery to a position about two form lengths beyond said platen, and provided at its opposite end with pins adapted to engage perforations in the transfer slips and retract said slips into alinement with the next succeeding set of forms; a tear-oi! bar mounted on said cross-bar in front of stationery led thereover; and means for throwing the advanced set of forms forwardly over the tear-off bar when the lazy-tong mechanism is being retracted.

16. A device as specified in claim 15, in which the means for throwing the advanced set of forms over the tear-off bar comprises an arm, spring means for normally holding said arm in a plane parallel with the plane of the advancing stationery, and a trigger device adapted to be tripped automatically and to swing the arm forwardly during the retracting movement of the lazy-tong.

17. A device as specified in claim 15, in which the means for throwing the advanced set of forms over the tear-off bar comprises an arm, spring means for normally holding said arm in a plane parallel with the plane of the advancing stationery, a trigger device for swinging the arm forwardly, and a push-rod mounted on the lower end of the lazy-tong. mechanism so as to engage and operate said trigger device when moved upwardly.

18. A device as specified in claim 15, in which the upper end of the lazy-tong mechanism is provided with pivotaliy mounted guide means for directing the stationery into engagement with the register pins, and the lower end of the device is provided with fixed guide means for normally di-- recting the transfer slips above andout of engagement with the pins.

19. In combination with a typewriter adapted to fill in forms on continuous-form stationery provided with interleaved transfer slips: a lazy-tong mechanism mounted on said typewriter and adapted to simultaneously advance and aline the stationery, and aline and retract the transfer slips.

20. In combination with a typewriter adapted to fill in forms on continuous-form stationery provided with interleaved transfer slips: a cross-bar and tear-off bar mounted on said typewriter about one form length above the typing mechanism; and a lazy-tong mechanism mounted on said crossbar adapted to advance the stationery about onehalf a form length so as to bring the lower edge of the advanced set of forms into register with the top of the tear-off bar, and adapted to aline and retract the transfer slips about one-half a form length so as to bring the slips into register with the succeeding set of forms.

21. A duplicating method, for use in a typewriter having a feed-mechanism for advancing continuous form stationery interleaved with transfer slips, which comprises the following steps: filling in a set of forms and advancing the stationery with the feed-mechanism about one and one-half form lengths beyond writing-position; releasing the feed-mechanism; advancing and alining the stationery about one-half a form length and simultaneously retracting the transfer slips about one-half a form. length; reengaging the feed-mechanism; permitting the completed set of forms to fall forwardly over a tearoif bar; detaching the completed set of forms; and feeding the succeeding set of forms back into writing position.

22. In combination with a typewriter machine adapted to fill in forms on continuous-form stationery provided with interleaved transfer slips, of means on said machine for simultaneously advancing the stationery and retracting the transfer slips. v

' 23. In a typewriting machine having a platen and adapted to fill in forms on continuous-form stationery strips provided with interleaved transfer slips, feed mechanism for advancing said interleaved transfer slips completely beyond said platen; and means for aligning and retracting said transfer slips with respect to the platen from an advanced position. 7

24. A device as specified in claim 23 including means for simultaneously aligning and advancing the stationary with respect to the platen.

BERNARD A. SCHROEDER. 

